Words, Words, Words
Apparently, there are a LOT of expressions using animals, considering all of the comments to my May post! Here are more, plus answers to some of the previous ‘what does that mean’ animal expressions – monkey wrench, the “kitty,” and “don’t let the cat out of the bag.” Read on for (Internet) explanations! Monkey wrench…
Thanks to my friend, Cindi, for reminding me of the expression, “monkeying around,” after reading the April post about Easter rabbits. So, I decided that this month would be perfect for looking at more animal expressions. I have collected a few over the years, many of which I have no idea why they exist. 😕…
Did you know that 2023 is the Chinese Year of the Rabbit? If you were born in 1939, 1951, 1963, 1975, 1987, 1999 or 2011, you were born during the Year of the Rabbit. If you want to know more about your “rabbit” personality, one website describes a legend when the Jade Emperor challenged all of the…
Or “buena suerte,” as some of my friends would say. The most commonly celebrated holiday in March is St. Patrick’s Day, often represented by something lucky – the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow, the leprechaun who brings luck, etc. Which made me think about the word, “luck.” Some Internet research shows…
Candy, also called sweets (British English) or lollies (Australian English, New Zealand English) Is February (Valentine’s Day) the month for candy? Or is it October (Halloween)? Or is every month, the month for candy? 😏 One chart I reviewed showed that just before Halloween was the busiest week for candy sales, followed by just before Christmas. The week before Valentine’s…
Ever been that child who has fingers crossed, hoping that Santa will bring the wished-for gift? I have used this gesture more in 2022 than I ever remember – hoping a student will pass her citizenship test, hoping my plane flight will not be canceled . . . Hoping a LOT of things. The gesture…
I think of November as the Thanksgiving month when people get together, so I thought it would be fitting to publish this post about expressions with two words that are joined by “and.” Some of these words are opposites and some of the words have similar meanings. Here are the ones I thought about. Let…
I thought you all would enjoy this list I compiled from a few sources 😀. From posts on Pocket Worthy and Judith Herman on Mental Floss: Here’s an ambiguous sentence for you: “Because of the agency’s oversight, the corporation’s behavior was sanctioned.” Does that mean, “Because the agency oversaw the company’s behavior, they imposed a…
The word, “brunch,” is the result of combining two words into one – breakfast and lunch. These word combinations are called “portmanteau” words or “blended” words. I just like to say portmanteau, so I’m going with that one. Here are some more examples of portmanteau words, taken from “English Language and Usage” on Stack Exchange:…
As promised from my June post, this month is more about acronyms (when the first letters of words are combined to become a new “expression”). I decline to call the result a ‘word,’ but that may be my old-fashioned-ness getting in the way 😏. My friend, Stewart, claims that the U.S. military uses more acronyms…